How much does a holiday flat really earn on the Costa del Sol? Real figures for 2025-2026
What a studio, a 4-place or a 6-place flat in Torremolinos and Benalmádena takes in, what the platform, the cleaning and the manager keep, and what is left for you. With real revenue data from the Costa del Sol, not from statistics portals.
Reviewed on 22 September 2026 · By the team at Torremolinos Gestión Vacacional, more than ten years managing holiday rentals · Markdown version · Versión en español
Short answer: on the Costa del Sol, a well-located, well-managed flat takes in between €16,000 (studio) and €30,000 (six places) a year before expenses, and the owner keeps around 60 % of that figure after the platform, the cleaning and the manager. Out of what is left they pay the association fees, utilities, property tax (IBI) and insurance. These are real revenue figures from the 2025-2026 season, confirmed by us, not internet averages.
Why not trust the figures on the internet?
Statistics portals (AirDNA, Airbtics and the like) give averages per municipality that contradict each other: for Torremolinos, in 2026, some say €19,000 a year and others €32,000, with occupancy ranging from 47 % to 78 %. None of them distinguishes an interior studio from a seafront penthouse, which is exactly what decides the number. The only way to know what your flat would earn is to compare it with similar flats that are already operating.
What a flat takes in on the Costa del Sol (gross per year, 09/2025 – 08/2026)
| Type of home | Where | Gross annual revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 2-place studio in the centre | Next to the beach | €16,000 – 19,000 |
| Well-located 4-place flat | Beach areas (La Carihuela, Playamar, the Benalmádena coast) | €20,000 – 25,500 |
| Well-located 6-place flat | Centre or seafront | €28,000 – 30,000 |
| 6-place villa with pool | 1-1.5 km from the beach | €33,000 |
"Gross" is what the guest pays, cleaning included. Nobody has been paid yet.
How much does each party keep?
Out of each booking come, in this order:
- The platform: Booking keeps 15 % plus 1.30 % if it handles the payment; Airbnb, 15.5 %.
- The cleaning: the guest pays it as a supplement, but it goes to whoever cleans.
- The manager: on the Costa del Sol the usual rate is 15-20 % of what the owner receives after the platform's cut, plus VAT.
After those three deductions, the owner keeps 58-62 % of the gross. A 4-place flat taking in €23,000 leaves about €13,500-14,000 a year in the owner's account.
And which expenses are mine?
Out of that amount come the home's fixed costs: association fees, electricity, water, internet, IBI, insurance and replacements (a frying pan, a lamp, a mattress every few years). In a 4-place flat they usually add up to between €2,000 and €3,500 a year. And then the tax office, explained in How much does the tax office take?.
What makes a flat earn more or less?
- Distance to the beach. It is factor number one. At 300 metres and at 1.2 kilometres you do not charge the same per night.
- Number of places. A 6-place flat does not charge three times a 2-place one, but quite a lot more: families and groups pay to sleep together.
- Terrace, views, pool and parking. Each one raises the price per night; parking also lengthens the stays of those who come by car.
- Photos and pricing. Two identical flats can differ by 30 % in revenue just because of how they are advertised and how the price moves with the season.
How do I work out mine?
Use the calculator, which starts from these numbers and lets you adjust price, occupancy, expenses and commission. And if you want an estimate for your exact street, ask us: we compare it with what similar flats take in and tell you the range it falls into.